Dublin

Dublin St. Patrick's Day Parade, 2016 [Photo: Internet]

The Temple Bar [Photo: Open Door Travelers]

Dublin is the capital city of Ireland located on the Eastern shore of Ireland where the River Liffey empties into Dublin Bay on the Irish Sea. Dublin is also home to Trinity College and the Book of Kells; the Guinness Brewery; the Jameson Distillary; and the Temple Bar Quarter where the St. Patrick's Day Parade is held.

In addition, Dublin is a wonderful starting point for a week long tour of Southern Ireland by Car. On our first trip to Ireland we took the Ferry from Hollyhead in Wales to Dublin with our car. We spent one night just South of Dublin; one night in the village of Blarney - Yes, we kissed the stone; one night at the Ennistymon Hotel & Spa near the Cliffs of Mohr; and two nights in Dublin for the st. Patrick's Day Parade.

Getting to Dublin

Getting to Dublin is very straightforward by air or by ferry from England or Wales. Dublin International Airport (DUB) has many flights daily with most major carriers from the US, Canada and most European countries. Daily Ferry Service from Liverpool in England or Hollyhead in Wales is also very straightforward. You should check prices. If you are not bringing your own car, flights from London, Manchester and Liverpool are competitive with ferry fares with much faster travel times.

Staying in Dublin

Dublin St. Patrick's Day Parade Route [Photo: Internet]

Simlar to getting to Dublin, staying in Dublin is also very straightforward with many options to accomodate any budget or location needs. The city itself has 100's of international brand and local hotels as well as active AirBnB and VBRO communities. The best approach is to set a budget and identify a quarter that you would like to stay in - for example, the Temple Bar Quarter is where the St. Patrick's Day parade takes place - and begin your internet search.

Eating in Dublin

Crab Legs at Klaw in Dublin [Photo: Open Door Travelers]

Oysters on the Half-Shell at Klaw in Dublin [Photo: Open Door Travelers]

Traditional Irish Breakfast [Photo: Open Door Travelers]

You can find any worldwide cuisine you are lookin for in Dublin's Temple Bar Quarter. From fast food to fresh seafood, there are many choices. We tend to like to sample local fare when we are traveling. One of the best finds we had in Dublin was a local hole-in-the-wall fresh seafood restaurant called, Klaw. Fortunately for us, we were also able to find a Traditional Irish Breakfast - served all day - for a day after St. Patricks Day breakfast, at the Metro Cafe.

Outside of Dublin, we found a wide variety of Pint n' Pie Pubs throughout the country side for breakfast and lunch. Our best Fine Dining experience was the Ennistymon Falls Hotel & Spa where we were able to dine on Lamb, Duck and Salmon and all traded bites around.